2021 Kia Seltos Review

　　

2021 Kia Seltos Review

byReese CountsVehicle Test Editor

　　Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at zzdcar in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.

　　The 2021 Kia Seltos is the newest addition to Kia's rapidly growing small crossover SUV lineup. It's a little longer than Kia's Soul but not as big or as expensive as the Sportage. You'll probably like the way it looks since its available two-tone roof and stacked headlight design help it stand out from other extra-small SUVs.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Kia Seltos S 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.04 per gallon for regular unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$122/mo  for Seltos S

　　Seltos S

　　S 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT) - $21,990 MSRPS 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl CVT) - $23,590 MSRPS 4dr SUV AWD (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 7AM) - $25,590 MSRPLX 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl CVT) - $21,990 MSRPEX 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl CVT) (Most Popular) - $25,390 MSRPSX 4dr SUV AWD (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 7AM) - $27,990 MSRP

　　vs

　　$166/mo

　　Avg. Compact SUV

　　For power the Seltos comes with either a base 146-horsepower engine or a more powerful turbocharged engine good for 175 hp. That engine provides plenty of smooth acceleration for this little SUV. It also offers optional all-wheel drive, which is something you can't get on the Soul, to give it extra traction in bad weather or on dirt roads.

　　Inside, premium-feeling materials can make it seem like you paid more for the Seltos than you really did. The Seltos is spacious enough for four adults. If you need to haul stuff, you can fold down the rear seats to provide 62.8 cubic feet of cargo space, which is more than most other extra-small SUVs offer.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Average

　　7.6

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

7.5/10

　　How does the Seltos drive? We tested a top-of-the-line Seltos SX, which comes with the turbocharged engine. Acceleration is sluggish from a stop but after that this little SUV is pretty punchy. In zzdcar testing, the Seltos sprinted from 0-60 mph in 8.1 seconds; that's great for this class and means you can quickly get up to highway speeds. The transmission shifts smoothly and quickly.

　　The Seltos is less impressive once the road bends, however. The responsive steering and taut suspension tuning should be beneficial, but drive with some enthusiasm and the Seltos just feels overly nose-heavy and ill-suited for the task.

　　

Comfort

7.0/10

　　How comfortable is the Seltos? The Kia Seltos is comfortable enough for your daily routine and short road trips. It absorbs most bumps without trouble and isn't overly floaty on the highway. The front seats are OK but they don't have enough thigh support and cushioning to make them truly comfortable on long drives. The rear seats are actually pretty comfortable for an extra-small SUV.

　　There's a fair amount of road noise that enters the cabin, and the climate control system is a little weak when it comes to thoroughly cooling the cabin down on hot days.

　　

Interior

7.5/10

　　How’s the interior? The Seltos' interior is simple, practical and roomy. Special mention goes to the available 10.25-inch infotainment screen; it has crisp graphics and is easy to use. The bottom screen, which displays the single-zone climate settings, is equally sharp.

　　Being one of the larger extra-small SUVs (yes, that's kind of an oxymoron), the Seltos has enough room for most people. As long as you're under 6-foot-2, you should find the Seltos pretty accommodating both in front and in back. The Seltos is also pretty easy to get in and out of.

　　Visibility is somewhat hampered by thick roof pillars. It's always good practice to glance twice to make sure there are no pedestrians walking toward you from the right side. The wide-angle rearview camera is definitely beneficial when you're backing up.

　　

Technology

8.0/10

　　How’s the tech? The Seltos comes with a pleasing amount of features. The Bose audio system (SX trim only) produces clear sound and punchy bass. The navigation system is easy enough to use. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across the board but work best on the available 10.25-inch infotainment display. Our test car had two USB ports, a 12-volt power port and a wireless charging pad in front. Rear-seat passengers will fight over the single USB port.

　　The advanced safety and driver aids in our top-of-the-line Seltos SX worked well and weren't overly intrusive with warnings. The adaptive cruise control is very conservative with its following distances, however.

　　

Storage

8.0/10

　　How’s the storage? You can hold a lot of stuff in the back of the Seltos. It's one of the leaders in its class with a maximum cargo capacity of 62.8 cubic feet. Leave the rear seats up and there's still 26.6 cubes. Loading cargo isn't a hassle either thanks to a wide liftgate opening and decent cargo depth.

　　Interior storage for front seat passengers is sufficient. There are plenty of water-bottle-size pockets, a small cellphone tray in front of the gear shifter, a small console box and a glovebox. As for child safety-seat installation, the Selto's car seat anchor points are clearly marked and easy to access. You'll be able to install a rear-facing safety seat without too much trouble.

　　

Fuel Economy

7.5/10

　　How’s the fuel economy? The Kia Seltos has a few different powertrain combinations. We tested the SX, which has the more powerful turbocharged engine, and our vehicle had all-wheel drive, too. The EPA estimates that combo will get 27 mpg combined (25 city/30 highway). That's below the class average though a base Seltos with front-wheel drive gets a more respectable 31 mpg combined.

　　We recorded 27.9 mpg on our 115-mile mixed-driving evaluation route. Overall, we believe you should be able to match the EPA's numbers without much trouble.

　　

Value

7.5/10

　　Is the Seltos a good value? The Seltos is a better than average value for the class thanks to its pleasing amount of standard features. The top SX trim is pricey, but it adds a lot of stuff, including the turbocharged engine. Build quality is solid but the interior materials lack substance and the abundant plastic makes it feel a tad cheap.

　　Kia's limited and powertrain warranties are fantastic. You get a 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and 10 years/100,000 miles for the powertrain.

　　

Wildcard

7.5/10

　　The Kia Seltos looks a little bit like a Land Rover Evoque SUV, and you can further enhance it with contrasting roof and body paint colors. It definitely stands out in the extra-small SUV class. The rest of the package isn't very inspiring. But is it practical? Definitely.

　　

Which Seltos does zzdcar recommend?

The base LX and S models provide a lot of utility for relatively little money, but we suggest going with the midtier EX model. It offers standard features such as heated seats, blind-spot monitoring and keyless ignition as well as standard all-wheel drive.

　　

2021 Kia Seltos models

The 2021 Seltos is available in five trim levels: LX, S, S Turbo, EX and SX. Standard feature highlights include:

　　LX

　　The base Seltos is powered by a 146-hp four-cylinder engine paired to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and standard all-wheel drive. You also get:

　　17-inch wheels Keyless entry Tinted rear glass 8-inch touchscreen Apple CarPlay and Android Auto One USB portS

　　The S trim starts the same base MSRP as the LX and includes most of the same equipment. Major differences include:

　　Optional (rather than standard) all-wheel drive bundled with heated front seats Foglights Optional two-tone paint Heated mirrors Simulated leather upholsteryYou also get these advanced driver safety features:

　　Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane) Lane keeping assist (steers the car back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker) Automatic high beams (can brighten or dim automatically)S Turbo

　　As the name implies, the S Turbo is basically a Seltos S with the more powerful turbocharged engine (175 hp). It's paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Unlike the S, all-wheel drive comes standard. Other changes include:

　　18-inch wheels Exterior trim color changes Standard blind-spot monitoring (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot) Standard rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle behind you is about to cross your vehicle's path while in reverse)EX

　　The midtier EX reverts back to the standard 146-hp engine and all-wheel drive. It includes all features from the S trim, plus:

　　Sunroof Leather upholstery with heated front seats Power-adjustable driver's seat Automatic climate control Front and rear USB ports and wireless device chargingSX

　　The top-of-the-line SX is basically an EX with the turbocharged engine and the S Turbo's styling details. In addition to the EX's features, the SX includes:

　　LED headlights and foglights Optional sunroof Cargo cover 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation Premium Bose audio system Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the Seltos and the car in front)

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2021 Seltos Highlights

Trim: SLXEXSXS

　　

Base MSRP	$21,990
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	31 MPG
Cost to Drive	$122/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	26.6 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	5 years / 60,000 miles